Propeller joint



June 11, 1946.

Filed June 12, 1943 .1. H. BOOTH PROPELLER JOINT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2;

Patented June 11, 1946 PROPELLER JOINT James H. Booth, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Thompson Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a.

corporation of Ohio Application June 12, 1943, Serial No. 490,619

Claims. (Cl. 170-177) This invention relates to joint or coupling constructions for transmitting torsion load.

Specifically the invention relates to devices for coupling a drive shaft with a propeller hub or air screw adapted to dampen out vibrations.

While the invention will hereinafter be specifically described-as embodied in a device for coupling an airplane engine drive shaft with a propeller, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to such usage, being generally applicable to joints or couplings between driving and driven members.

According to this invention the splined end of an aircraft engine drive shaft receives, in splined relation thereon, a sleeve having recessed end faces in which are seated wedge rings. One of the wedge rings is bottomed on a shoulder of the engine shaft while the other wedge ring is acted on by a nut threaded on the shaft to hold the sleeve in fixed position on the shaft. A propeller hub-receiving member is disposed around the sleeve and has thrust faces coacting with external faces on the sleeve to clamp the device on the sleeve. Driving torque is transmitted from the sleeve to the propeller hub-mounting device through a rubber-hushed coupling. This coupling is composed of a ring mounted on an end face of the sleeve having legs or flanges carrying radially extending pins on which are seated trunnion blocks disposed in rubber bushings. The rubber bushings are carried in housings provided on a ring secured to the hub-receiving member.

Driving torque is thus transmitted from the engine drive shaft through the sleeve to the coupling ring carried by the sleeve, thence through the pins and trunnion blocks to the rubber bushings and through the rubber bushings to the housings in which they are seated, and through the rings carrying the housings to the propeller hub-receiving member.

The rubber bushings are disposed symmetrically around an end of the hub-receiving member and have exposed faces so that the rubber can be deformed for accommodating relative movements between the engine shaft and propeller. However, while such relative movement is permitted,

it can occur only through interparticle flow of' the rubber and, as a result, vibrations set up by either the propeller or the engine drive shaft are effectively absorbed and dampened. The devices of this invention therefore prevent the building up of harmonic vibrations between driving and driven parts.

It is, then, an object of this invention to provide a propeller joint or coupling for connecting an engine shaft with a propeller or air screw.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rubber-hushed coupling in a propeller mounting.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device for connecting driving and driven members adapted to absorb and dampen vibrations of the members.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device for connecting an air screw with a drive shaft which has a plurality of torquetransmitting rubber bushings.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a propeller joint having a plurality of rubber bushings disposed symmetrically around an end of a propeller mounting.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparentto those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheets of drawings which, by way of preferred eX- ample, illustrate one embodiment of the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevational view of a propeller joint acording to this invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse, cross-sectional view, with parts in elevation, taken along the line 11-11 of Figure l. 1

Figure 3 is an enlarged axial cross-sectional view, with parts in elevation, taken along the line III-III of Figure 1.

As shown on the drawings: I

In Figures 1 to 3 the reference numeral I0 designates generally a propeller joint coupling an aircraft engine drive shaft with the hub I2 of a propeller as best shown in Figure 3.

The shaft II has a shoulder Ila inwardly from the end thereof, a reduced-diameter cylindrical portion Ilb extending from the shoulder Ila, a splined intermediate portion Ilc on the reduceddiameter cylindrical portion IIb, and a threaded end portion I Id.

A sleeve I3 is mounted on the shaft I I and has a splined intermediate portion I3a splined to the portion I I0 of the shaft together with a recessed end portion I3b receiving the cylindrical portion I lb of theshaft, and a second recessed end portion I3c on the other end thereof receiving the threaded end portion I'Id of the shaft.

The sleeve I3 also has a cylindrical external portion I3d which is threaded at the end thereof as at I38. A second cylindrical portion I3] is provided at the other end of the sleeve of larger diameter than the portion I3d and a tapered thrust face I3g is formed at the inner end of the cylindrical portion 3flies the propeller hub I2.

a rubber bushing 32.

A wedge ring I 4 is bottomed on the shoulder Ila of the shaft, and seats on the tapered side wall of the recessed end 03b of the sleeve I3. A multi-piece wedge ring I5 is disposed around the portion lid of the shaft and is seated on a tapered wall of the recessed end I3c of the sleeve I3. This multi-piece wedge ring I5 has a thrust face 15a inwardly from the end thereof surrounded by a skirt I5b with an inturned flange I50 on the end thereof. A nut I6 is threaded on the portion Hd of the shaft and has an outturned flange or rim IBa in interfitting relation with the flange I50. The nut I 6 acts on the thrust face I5a of the wedge ring I5 to force the wedge ring I5 toward the ring I l and thereby secure the sleeve I3 to the shaft II. Reverse rotation of the nut will cause the flange or rim lGa to engage the flange or rim I50 and loosen the wedge ring I5 from the recessed end I3b of the sleeve.

The recessed end portion I30 of the sleeve I3 has a groove therein receiving a snap lock ring R adapted to abut theflange I5c of the multipiece wedge ring I5 to prevent unauthorized removal of the nut IB and Wedge ring I5. When desired, the ring R can be removed from the sleeve I3.

A propeller hub-carrying sleeve member I1 is disposed around the sleeve I3 and has a tapered face Ila cooperating with the thrust face I3g of the sleeve. A bearing I8 of bronzevor other suitable material is disposed between the faces Ho and I3g. The sleeve I1 also has a tapered face IIb cooperating with a thrust ring I9 which is slidably mounted on the cylindrical portion I3d of the sleeve I3. This thrust ring I9 is urged against a bronze or {other suitable bearing 20 on the face I1b by means of a nut 2i threaded on the portion I3e of the sleeve I3. The threaded portion I3e contains a key slot 22 and a washer 23 is interposed between the nut 2I and the ring I9. This washer 23 has a keyor tang portion 23a projecting in the slot 22.

Thenut 2I is castellated around the periphery thereof and a portion 23b of the washer 23 is bent down into one of the grooves 2Ia of the castellated nut so as to lock the nut 2| on the sleeve I3.

The sleeve I3 has a groove I So therearound receiving a gasket or seal ring 24 for acting on the sleeve I1 to seal the space between the sleeves I1 and I3. A groove 25 is also provided in the sleeve I3 at the other end portion thereof to receive a similar gasket or sealing ring 26 for acting on the sleeve I1. I r

The sleeve I1 has an outturned flange I10 at one end thereof. The propeller hub I2 is disposed around the sleeve I1-and bottomed on the flange I10. A plate 21 surrounds the sleeve I1 and over- Bolts such as 28 are passed through the plate 21, propeller hub I2 and flange .I'Ic to secure the propeller hub to the sleeve I1. A ring 29 is bolted to the recessed end I3c of the sleeve I3 and ha a plurality of upstanding 1 legs 29a spaced equally around the periphery thereof, Each leg 29a carries a radially extending pin 30 on which is mountedra trunnion block 3| seated in the wire or fabric-lined bore 32a of The bushing 32 has acircular periphery vul I canized in a metal sleeve 33 which is seated in a to retain the casing 34 within the housing. These 4 housings 35 are formed on a. ring 38 which is bolted to the flange I10 of the sleeve I1.

While three housings 35 are shown on the ring 38, it should be understood that any number of housings could be used to cooperate through the rubber bushings with a similar number of legs and pins on the other ring member 29.

The housings 35 can, if desired, be in the form of continuous annular members and need not be split and contractable as shown; If continuous annular housings are used, the casings 34 can be eliminated and the sleeves 33 of the bushing 32 press-fitted into the housings.

Also, if desired, the pins 30 can be in the form of thin-headed bolts with the bolt heads bottomed on the bosses of the legs 29a.

From the above descriptions it will be understood'that the torque load from the drive shaft II is transmitted through the sleeve I3 to the ring 29 and thence through the rubber bushings 32 to the ring 38 andesleeve I1 for driving the propeller hub I2 mounted on the sleeve [1. 7

The end faces of the rubber bushings 32 are exposed and the rubber of these bushings can be deformed to accommodate slight relative movement' between the propeller hub and the drive shaft, but such movement is resisted by interparticle flow of the rubber, tending to dampen out any vibrations. The bushings are disposed radially around the drive shaft and transmit torque loads from the drive shaft to the propeller hub. A resilient coupling between the drive shaft and the propeller hub is thus provided. This coupling is readily removable from the propelle assembly by removal of the bolts which attach the rings 29 and 38 to the assembly.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims. v 1

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for coupling a drive shaft with a 1 propeller hub which comprises a sleeve having an internally splined intermediate portion and recessed end portions with tapered side. walls converging toward said intermediate portion, a drive shaft projecting into said sleeve having a shoulder adjacent one recessed end portion of the sleeve together with a splined portion secured to the splined intermediate portion of the sleeve and a threaded portion adjacentthe other'recessed end portion of the sleeve, a wedge ring bottomed on said shoulder seated on the tapered side wall of said one recessed end portion of the sleeve, a multi-piece wedge ring seated on the tapered side wall of the other recessed end portion of the sleeve, said multi-piece wedge ring having anabutment face, a nut threaded. on said shaft thrusting against the abutment face of the multipiece wedge ring, said nut and said multi-piece wedge ring having interfitting flanges adapted to pull the multi-piece wedge ring out of the recessed end portion of the sleeve when the nut is loosened on theshaft, said sleevehaving an external tapered thrust face at the end thereof receiving the multi-piece wedge ring, a ,ring slidable on the other end of said sleeve having a tapered thrust face, a propeller'hub-receiving member surrounding said sleeve having opposed seating said member between the thrust faces on the sleeve, a coupling ring secured on said sleeve, 2. second coupling ring secured on said member, and means including rubber bushings operatively connecting said coupling rings for coupling the sleeve and member.

2. A device for coupling a drive shaft with a propeller hub which comprises a sleeve adapted to be mounted on a drive shaft, arms projecting from said sleeve, pins extending radially from said arms, a propeller hub-receiving member, bushing housings carried by said member, and resilient bushings in said housing connecting said member with said sleeve through said pins,

3. A device for connecting a drive shaft with a propeller which comprises an inner sleeve adapted to receive a drive shaft, an outer sleeve adapted to receive a propeller hub, cooperating tapered thrust faces on said sleeves to center the outer sleeve on the inner sleeve, inner and outer rings secured to adjacent end faces of said sleeves, housings on the outer ring, upstanding legs on the inner ring, pins carried by said legs, rubber bushings carried by said housings, and

trunnion blocks in said rubber bushings receiving said pins to couple the inner and outer sleeve through said rubber bushings.

4. A coupling comprising nested sleeves, axial projections on adjoining end faces of the sleeves, radial extensions on the projections of one sleeve, and independent resilient blocks carried by the projections of the other sleeve receiving said extensions to couple the sleeves.

5. Apropeller joint comprising an internally splined sleeve adapted to receive a splined drive shaft, a flanged sleeve disposed around said splined sleeve, cooperating thrust faces on said sleeves, a ring slidable on said splined sleeve, a nut threaded on said splined sleeve acting on said ring to urge the ring toward said thrust faces, a propeller hub on said flanged sleeve bottomed on the flange thereof, hub-securing studs carried by said flange, rubber bushings carried at spaced intervals around said flange, and means carried by said splined sleeve seated in said bushings for drivingly connecting said sleeves through said bushings.

JAMES H. BOOTH. 

